1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a female terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,540 discloses a female terminal fitting that is fixed to an end of an electric wire. The female terminal fitting has a box-shaped connection portion with an open front end for receiving the tab of a male terminal fitting. An elastic contact piece is provided inside the female terminal fitting and elastically contacts the tab that has been inserted into the open front of the connection portion. Thus, an electrical connection is made between the tab of the male terminal fitting and the elastic contact piece of the female terminal fitting.
There is a growing demand for miniature terminal fittings. However, the tab of the male terminal fitting must be sufficiently wide to achieve a reliable electrical connection between the male and female terminal fittings. Thus, options for miniaturization appear to reside in the connection portion of the female terminal fitting into which the tab is inserted.
A thinner material could be used for the female terminal fitting. However, there is a fear that the strength of the female terminal fitting will decrease too much.
The clearance between the side surfaces of the connection portion of the female terminal fitting and the side surfaces of the tab ensure a reliable insertion of the tab into the connection portion. Attempts have been made to reduce the clearance to achieve miniaturization. However, a smaller clearance requires the male and female terminal fittings to be manufactured at high accuracy, thus reducing productivity.
The invention has been completed in view of the above-described situation. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a compact female terminal fitting without deteriorating the strength and productivity thereof.